Monthly Archives: October 2006

Eli has a toy microphone that also plays various tunes. Just now he pressed the button that makes it play a song. A tinny electronic version of “Yankee Doodle Dandy” came from the microphone’s attached speaker. “Daddy!” he said excitedly. “It’s Barney!”

Because our lives weren’t already complicated enough. Because we wanted to do something with those spare few dollars. Because we’re from Arkansas and don’t really understand how these things happen. We present you with Granade 2.0. Making an appearence in early May 2007.

I had a big long rant queued up about how Jericho used static electricity and gasoline to build tension, only they got everything all wrong when they had little MissGyver warn the main character and his friend not to unscrew the cap of the steel pesticide container full of gasoline because unscrewing that cap would […]

We went home to Arkansas this past weekend to spend some time with family. This trip requires a chunk of driving across Mississippi. Most of Highway 72 across North Alabama and Mississippi is a divided, limited access road with the occasional stoplight. (Strange I know, but hey, welcome to the South.) Most of the stoplights […]

Hello, those of you who are visiting from Television Without Pity. This is not really a science blog, nor is it a television blog, but I do sometimes go on about both. For atomic bomb discussion beyond the bit where I grumble about Jericho, you might be interested in Child of the Cold War, which […]

We’ve been watching Heroes, the NBC show about superheroes. The premise is that otherwise-normal people develop superpowers. You’ve got your guy who can fly, your girl who can survive any injury, your guy who can read minds. And then you have your girl who has an alter-ego who takes over her body but does not […]

One thing I looked into during my research for the earlier Jericho post was the claim that Manhattan Project physicists were worried about atomic bombs igniting the atmosphere. It’s true, though they were worried about a run-away nitrogen fusion reaction, not actual ignition of the atmosphere. The scientists decided it wouldn’t happen. But don’t take […]

I worry sometimes about Eli’s behavior, but on the whole he is an extremely well-behaved kid. He says “please” and “thank you,” and follows most of our directions. A few weeks ago we were at the supermarket and the woman behind the meat counter said of Eli, “He minds so well!”